Berserker Saga: Before the Storm
by Classic Cowboy
Summary: Every generation, a great Kung Fu Master will rise to claim the Dragon Scroll and become the Dragon Warrior. To understand the darkness that Dragon Warrior Po Ping and Master Tigress must soon face, one must look back in time, to the generation before Po, to the time another was chosen by Oogway to be the Dragon Warrior, and the birth of a great monster…


**Disclaimer: Kung Fu Panda and all related characters are property of DreamWorks productions. Some characters were created by Rudyard Kipling, and some are owned by Walt Disney Productions…see if you can pick them out… **

**The Berserker Saga reading order: **

**Daddy-Daughter Issues**** – One-Shot – Shifu and Tigress have a discussion on the events of KFP2… (Completed)**

**A Completed Collection**** – One-Shot – Tigress notices something missing from Po's action figure collection… (Completed)**

**Father's Day**** – Two-Parter – Mr. Ping helps teach Shifu to be a better adopted father for Tigress while Tigress goes to Po for help with a gift for Shifu… (completed)**

**Confidence and Courage**** – multi-chapter – A horrible "accident" shakes Po's confidence in himself and his Kung Fu… (Complete)**

**Today is a Gift**** – multi-chapter – An ancient artifact sends Tigress on an amazing yet horrifying adventure… (Complete)**

**Mist of Pandaria**** - multi-chapter - The Heroes of the Jade Palace receive a call for help that will lead to Po learning far more of his history than he ever thought possible… (Complete)**

**Before the Storm ****– short fic – Every generation, a great Kung Fu Master will rise to claim the Dragon Scroll and become the Dragon Warrior. To understand the darkness that Dragon Warrior Po Ping and Master Tigress must face today, one must look back in time, to the time before Po, to the time another was chosen by Oogway to be the Dragon Warrior, and the birth of a great monster… (In Progress)**

**The Claws of the Berserker**** – multi-chapter – The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five face their greatest enemy yet, a monster, a Berserker that does not want power, wealth, or rule, but to watch all of China burn… and why is Master Shifu determined to keep Tigress out of the fight? (Coming soon!)**

**After the Storm**** – multi-chapter – the Masters of the Jade Palace and the Valley of Peace try to heal the physical and emotional wounds left by the Berserker… (Coming soon!)**

_**Before the Storm**_

_**PROLOGUE**_

_Jade Palace Training Hall, Valley of Peace, present time… _

Master Shifu took a deep breath and took a stoic stance as the doors to the training hall opened and in walked his students, The Furious Five, Po the Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung and, to the Grand Master's curiosity, Tai Lung's wife, Po's elder sister Dao Ming accompanied them, dressed for a fight with her twin hook-blades strapped to her back.

"Dao Ming, I trust you've settled yourself into the Jade Palace well?" the red panda asked as the female panda began doing some stretches.

"Me and Spots broke in our room pretty well, thanks," her green eyes snapped to the suddenly chuckling Mantis and Monkey, "Get your minds out of the gutter boys, and besides, we're married. Get over it!" She said, and they broke into fits of giggles. "These are the finest warriors of the Valley of Peace?" Ming rolled her eyes.

"ENOUGH!" Shifu clicked his staff against the wooden floor to gain their attention. "They'll be time for laughter and fun later," the Grand Master stated, "But first…"

"Broken bones and busted knuckles," Po popped his knuckles with a confident smirk.

"Indeed, Panda," Shifu nodded, "And since you spoke up, you get to take the first warm up match… with Master Tigress."

"Wha?" Po instantly deflated.

"Dragon Warrior vs Master Tigress, two out of three falls," Shifu continued, "Since you two have decided to… explore your relationships, I wish to be sure that your training will not suffer."

"Master Shifu, I swear, I won't…" Po started, but Tigress stepped onto the fighting mat.

"Po, don't tell him," She said, popping her neck, "Show him."

"Um… Ok…" Po awkwardly walked onto the mat.

"So, um, how are we going to do this?" Po asked as he stretched, "So, hold back on some of the punches, make them more like love taps, maybe toss in a few little sneaky grabs…"

"You think because we have become clear on our feelings of each other, I'm going to go easy on you?" Tigress asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I was kinda hoping…" Po gulped.

"Po, I care for you so very deeply…" Tigress said softly, walking up to him, trailing her paw up his chest, neck to cup his cheek, "I do love you. That's why… I want to be sure you're capable of handling everything that you may face, as I trust you wish the same from me. So, that we'll always be able to return to one another… That's why… We train harder, longer, until the point pain will be but an afterthought!" She said, grabbing his arm, and giving him an over-the-shoulder toss.

She smiled fondly as he screamed before slamming into the mat. "I'm glad you don't hate me…" Po groaned as he rubbed his tail.

"C'mon, Panda," Tigress smiled as she took a stretched and low fighting stance. "Let me see what you got!"

As Po prepared for his counter attack, Shifu studied Tigress, and a wave of déja vu struck him. In his mind's eye Tigress' orange fur was changed to white and her crimson eyes turned ocean blue. The aged grandmaster shook his head and turned to walk off. "Continue your training, students…" He said walking out of the hall.

Only Tai Lung noted his shift in mood, and excused himself from his wife, who was busy cheering on her brother's girlfriend, who was using her brother as a screaming punching bag.

It took the snow leopard a few moments to pick up his adopted father's trail and followed after past the Peach Tree of Heavily Wisdom, along the mountain path, through the Dragon Grotto on to a high cliff that overlooked the ocean. There Tai Lung found Shifu standing before a small memorial stone.

_Master Tigress, Lynn Daughter of Oogway, Master of the Tiger Style, Leader of the Furious Five, beloved wife and mother_

"With his return, Shifu," Tai Lung spoke up, "She needs to know."

"I… I can't, Tai Lung," Shifu said, glancing out over the ocean, the view here was her favorite. That's why Shifu placed her memorial here, with hopes of one day bring Tigress here. "I've tried, I have since you and Po faced him. But I just can't… if I tell her… I'll have to tell her everything."

"Yes, but she has a right to know," Tai Lung stood next to his father, "She deserves it, if nothing else, she deserves to know."

"If you don't, Khan will tell her," Tai Lung placed a gentle hand on Shifu's shoulder, the first kind contact the leopard had initiated. "I cannot stress how important it is that it comes from you instead of… him…"

"She'll hate me, Tai Lung," Shifu closed his eyes tight, "It was my choices…"

"It was partly your choices, Father, but you didn't force anything to happen with them, any more than you forced things to happen with me," Tai Lung shook his head, "And she may be angry with you, she may even hate you for a time, but I do not see her having the hatred I nurtured… but that's only if you talk to her… tell her what happened. Po's presence would help with that, too… but rage is what Khan wants, and if you don't go to her first, he will strike a fire even the Dragon Warrior won't be able to put out."

Shifu said nothing else, he stared at the memorial. 'Lynn and Mei Ren… how can they ever forgive me…' Shifu closed his eyes, and his mind traveled back to when it all started…

**To Be Continued… **


End file.
